Electrode housing



Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application May 13,1931, Serial No. 537,104

Renewed June 23 1934 3 Claims. (Cl. 173-328) This invention relates to electrode housings for neon tubes used in electric signs and aims, among other objects, to provide an improved twin housing or double insulating socket having provision for connecting tubes in series without requiring any separate electrical connections. Also, the invention provides improved spring wire connectors mounted in a housing and adapted to contact with the terminals of electrodes.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. wherein:--

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view showing a twin housing embodying the invention and showing it applied to a sign plate;

Fig. 2 is an upper end view of the housing shown in Fig. 1 and showing the electrode in section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1; and v Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

in making neon tube signs it is often necessary to connect tube sections in series either for separate script letters or to make a border around a sign face. These connections are usually made through separate, individual housings for the electrodes which have to be spaced apart to permit their installation in the sign face. When such housings are installed, it is necessary to connect their terminals in series and this involves extra work because the wire connections between the housings and the terminals are sometimes required to be well insulated. This invention provides a compact twin housing embodying the series connection between the terminals in the individual sockets so that the cost of installation is reduced to a minimum. The idea is to simplify the installation work so that the series connection between tube electrodes is completed by the simple expedient of inserting the electrodes in their respective sockets without having to make any mechanical screw or clip connections to the terminals.

Referring particularly to the drawing, there is shown a twin housing It made of porcelain and having sockets H to receive the electrodes I! of a pair of neon tubes. The housing is preferably tapered and has a flange it around it to engage the outer surface of a sign face plate It. It is shown as being secured to the plate by bolts l5 projecting through openings It in the flange between the socket portions.

To provide. a series connection between the sockets, a conductor bar or strip i1 is shown. as being inserted through a short slot It in'the cottom of the housing and held against the bottom of the .slot or the connecting wall between the sockets by means oi sealing wax which also provides adequate insulation. The ends of the bar extend beyond the ends of the slot inside of both sockets and have screw-threaded openings to receive binding screws I! for coil spring terminals 20, some of the convolutions of which are sumciently large to guide the screws centrally of the sockets as they are inserted through the open ends. The lower convolution of each coil is wound and threaded on its screw so that the screws will be guided properly and will not be lost in the sockets. When the bars are relatively thin, the bottoms of the sockets have depresslons 2| to receive the projecting ends of the screws.

The outer convolutions of the coils are shown as being 01' a smaller diameter than the sockets and outwardly flared at the ends to receive and contact with the usual cup-shaped metal terminals 22 on the tube electrodes I2. This design of the springs not only insures good electrical contacts with the electrodes but enables them to be compressed practically to the bottoms of the sockets by long electrodes. The electrodes are adapted to be held in the sockets by frusto-conical rubber gaskets 23 which, when flexed inwardas shown in Fig. 1, will prevent the small springs from pushing the electrodes out of the sockets.

The gaskets 23 also tend to center the electrodes, yet will yield in any direction. 7

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the twin or double housing can be made of a. single piece of porcelain and can be installed as easily as a single socket. Moreover, the series connection is such that no extra wiring has to be done to connect the electrodes of a pair of tubesections.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

What I claim is:-

1. A twin electrode housing for neon signs comprising a single piece of porcelain having electrode sockets therein and closed at one end; a conductor member secured in the housing and having screw-threaded openings arranged centrally in the bottoms of said sockets; spring wire conductors having convolutions of such size as to guide them centrally in said sockets; screws secured to the spring wire conductors at one end and adapted to be guided by the convolutions thereof into said threaded openings: and a flange adjacent to the open end oi said housing providing means to secure the housing to a sign plate.

2. In an electrode housing for neon signs having a pair of parallel sockets therein closed at the bottom, a series electrical connection embodied in the bottom of the housing; and a pair of coil spring conductors forming a pert of said series connection having flared convolutions adapted to engage the ends of electrodes inserted in said sockets; the intermediate convolutions 01' each spring being enlarged so as to engage with the wall oi the socket to hold the conductor centrally in the socket.

3. A twin electrode housing for neon signs comprising a unitary insulating body having a pair of electrode sockets therein with a common inner wall, said sockets being substantially closed at one end; a conductor member extending between the bottoms and under said inner wall; spring wire conductors having convolutions or such size as to engagethe inner surfaces of the sockets all around and so hold the spring wire conductors centered; connectors secured to the inner ends 01' said spring wire conductors; said connectors electrically connecting the spring wire conductors with said conductor member; and means to secure the housing to a sign base.

WILLIAM S. HOUGH. 

